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Show Bib Hamon Makes Flat Denial of Gore Charges MUSKOGEE, OKLA., Au. 4 What happened in the- private office of United States Senator Thomas P, i Gore ot Washington at noon on May ti last formed the basis of sensational J charges involving the names of Vice President Sherman. Senator Charles CurtU cf Kansas. Congressman D. S. McGwire- of Oklahoma and other?, ia a hearing before a special congressional congression-al hrvertigatlng committee hero today. to-day. Durii.fr a conference held In that office. of-fice. Senior Gore testified ho had been approached by Jake L. Hamon, him. I am, however. subject to the will of the committee " Mr. Burke: . "The 'committee is hero to pot the facts and we tryst have all of these, conversations Thomas H Owen, counsel for Mr. Gore: "In that connection you spoko of an article appearing In 'a Kansas City newspaper that two (gentlemen had called on the president. I wish you would say who was mentioned In that article." Names in Newspaper. - Mr Gore: "In. the newspaper of April 11, Vice President Shernmn and Senator Curtis were named as bavins called to rflscusa the segregation of coal and asphalt lands. I think before be-fore the senate met the next, day, tho information camo to me." Senator Gore explained he believed Vice President Sherman was favorable favor-able to the contracts anj a short time later ho introduced a resolution in ihe senate that would require further fur-ther action of congiees before the . contracts could be approved. Congressman Crcager did not lake I the stand unttl late In the day. Asked if ho had ever met Hamon, ho replied: '"Yes, I met him bv appointment in his rooms at the Occidental hotel in Washington. He invited me there, say-ins say-ins he wanted to talk over a little matter. At that time efforts were be-In? be-In? Tilado tn liai-o lht nr.l,Ul lot of money and he did not care how1 he made I'." "Did yon hear anything that was said Bt the conference?- "No, I did not. Usually when Ha uiou called I heard everything that ; was said. There neter before had been an effort to conceal jt. But this time It was different. Hamon Acted Different. "In what way was it different? Did Hamon a. t differently ?M "Yes, be appeared not to want to say anything when I was In tho room which was quite opposite- to his usual manner. That the Choi; taw mulans who bad protesie against giving ton per cent attorney's fees tc McMurray bod been asked to rescind their action, formed the substance of testimony by W. A. Ilurani. a Choctaw Indlau and a member mem-ber or the Oklahoma state legislature. legisla-ture. D'irnnt aid that at a Choctaw council coun-cil meeting u resolution had been passed against the McMurray con tracts later he said a number of persoos bad gone out into the Choc-taw Choc-taw nation urging the Indian to sien a paper declaring themselves in favor fa-vor of the contracts, hut most of his tribe, he asserted, maintained tbelr opposition. Mr. Hamon tonirht declined de-clined to discuss Senator Gore's charges and said he would not make a statement, except in rcsponso to cat- egorical questions. The following questions in an interview- were then put to him; Ci d Not Offer a Bribe. '"Did you offer a bribe to Senator Gore?" "I did not." "Did you offer to give him an interest inter-est In the McMurray contracts?"' "I did not." "Did you offer to bribe Congressman Creacrer?" 'T did not." "Did you offer him an interest In the McMurrav contracts?" "I did not." "Did you mertion to Senator Gore or to any one else that Vice President Presi-dent Sherman was interested in the approval of the McMurray contracts?" "I never mentioned such a thing to any one." Did you .ay Senator Carter was interested in-terested in the McMurray contracts?" "I did not." "Are- yon yourself interested in the approval of the McMurray contracts?" "I am not." Mr Hamon declined to answer other oth-er questions, saying he expected to appear before the committee when he would tell all he knew. I'-iiuci iiuiwjiidii in ill" i ' iimuM i'. i rltoiial Republican committee, and also former chairman of the Oklahoma state Republican central committee, and said that he had been offered a bribe of $23,000 or $50,000 to remote certain legislation pending In congress con-gress so that $3,000,000 might be paid J. F. McMurray, an attorney of McAlester, Okla , and his associates. i Sherman Interested. The money was to represent "attorney's "attor-ney's fees" of ten per cent on $30.- 000 000, which was to be secured from a New York syndicate for 450,000 acres of coal and asphalt land now owned by the Choctaw and Chickasaw Chicka-saw Indians in this state. Vice President Sherman's name was mentioned by Mr. Hamon. Senator Gore testified, as being "interested" in the land deal to the extent of favoring fa-voring the approval by con?re6s of what are known as the McMurray contracts with the Indians. "Talks" in Pfvate Room. What happened in another private room in Washington and also where, it is alleced. Hamon made more "overtures" was told by Congressman C. E. Creager ef the third Oklahoma district. Congressman Creager supplemented sup-plemented the testimony of Senator Gore. He said that on last June 16 he had been invited by Hamon 1o meet him in a private room at the Occidental bote) ln Washington. Having goue there. Mr Creager tes-tifipd, tes-tifipd, he wfs informed he could have a "substantial Interest" In the land deal If hp would withdraw his ormosl-tlon ormosl-tlon to the approval of the McMurray contracts by congress. No Pr.ce Named. ARked the o'testlon: "Were any figures mentioned as to how much you were to receive?" Mr. Creager replied: "No, I did not let It go po far as that I made it plain 1 was not open to being influenced In that way. "I had already cone on record as being be-ing firmly opposed to the granting of such an enormous fee to attorneys." Congressman MrGulre of Oklahoma, who was barged by Senator Gore aa being "Interested" in the McMurray contract, was said by Mr. Creacer, in his testimony, to have been ot Ihe time of his visit, an occunant of the same suite of rooms with Hamon and McMurray at the hotel. Clerks of Senator Gore testified to having ben invited by McMurrav and Hamon to "frog leg" uppers at Washington All Turned Down. These Invitations, it was declared, were all "turned down." On ono occasion, one of the clerks testified, Hamon said Senator Gore was "awfully hard on his friends." Senator Goro in bis testimony asserted as-serted that the offr of briber1 went so far that Hamon said the ?2S,0Oi) or $."0,000 would not be paid over in the form of a check or marked mou-ey, mou-ey, but that "it would be all clean hard cash." The commltteo that heard the charges was appointed by resolution of the house of representatives to investigate in-vestigate the McMurray contracts, which are declared to have been made by McMurray individually with ten thousand Indians, each ot whom agreed to turn over ten per cent of their profit from the sale of their land, provided the contracts were approved ap-proved by congress. The committee headed by Congressman Con-gressman Charles II. Burke of South Dakota, chairman is composed of Congressman Phillip P. Campbell of Kansas, Charles B. Miller of Minnesota, Minne-sota, John J. Stevens of Texas and Iv W. Sanders of Virginia, lis initial session was held today. Congressman Crager's appearance on tho witns Etand followed a series of sent-etional statements. Among Senator Gore's assertions were the following: Man "Winhr Ifrv" prove the McMurray aontracts. I already al-ready had gone on record as being opposed op-posed to their approval. Well, when I got to the hotel and was sitting In a room w.th Hamon. be began to urge me to withdraw my opposition Ho euegested I might have an Interest in the contracts." - Did Not Stop to Hear Figures. "Congressman Miller: "Were any figures mentioned? Did he say how much Interest you might have?" Mr. Creager: "No. I did not let It go lhat far. I made my language pretty emphatic that I was opposed to the contracts and would not be influenced." in-fluenced." Congressman Stephens: "You mean to say that you regarded the offer of such a character as to arouse your indignatlen?" Mr. Creager: "Yes, that's it. T regarded re-garded It as an offer to influence my attitude towards the contracts. H was even suggested that 1 call together to-gether all the officials I could and defeat the measure opposing the approval ap-proval of the bills." Congressman Miller: "What kind of rooms did Mr. Hamon and Mr. McMurrny have at the hotel?" Mr. Creager: "Oh. three or four front rooms. Representative McGulr of Oklahoma occupied part of Hamon and MeMurray's suite. I met Hamon later at different times. When he heard I was coming to testify before this committee he urged me not to He expressed the hope that I would make no statement before I his committee.'' com-mittee.'' Gore Recalled. Recalled to the stand, Senator Gore was asked to mention the name of the employe of the department of justice who had told him that another anoth-er employe, or an official in that department de-partment was interested in the contracts. con-tracts. "That I could not do." replied Senator Sen-ator Gore "The matter was Imparted to me In confidence and T recret that It was mentioned here at all." "Now. Senator," interposed Congressman Con-gressman Campbell, "don't jnu thinl: it unfair to go so far before this committee com-mittee and et not tell all you know? You know we are here to learn the truth and we would like to have all of. it made known." "No, I would rather not. ' It is well known that heretofore emnloyes of that department hive, lost their positions posi-tions for giving Information and I would rather that this feature of the investigation be dropped.'' E. P. Phill, attorney for the Choe-taw Choe-taw tribe of Indians, then questioned tho senator as to what ho knew of President Taft's attitude toward the McMurrav contracts, "I think some people Interested in the contracts went to see the president presi-dent on Aoril 28." said the witness. $3,000,000 Attorney Fees. "The president stated that former Senator Long had already submitted the matter to him and that Mr. line's clients (meaning the McMurray Interests) In-terests) might bae their day In court. I think the president said everybody might have bis day In court, but that It would take a good deal of argument argu-ment to convince him that the amount of fees asked for In the, contracts ($3.- I 000.000 was just In fact, T think the president made !t plain he was opposed op-posed to the contracts." Senator Gore testified he and Hamon Ha-mon had been friends and had ben interested together in business trann-actions trann-actions at Lawtr-n. Okla. in which money loans were Invested Mr. Hamon Ha-mon is en attorney of Lawton. which Is Senator Gore's home own. Hamon Ha-mon Is "7 years of age and married. Alde from Republican chairmanships, he has been city attorney c,f Law ton and has practiced law in Kansas. Oklahoma Ok-lahoma and Texas. References to invitation in-vitation to frog leg banquets and to assertions by TTarnon that Senator Gore was "golne back on his friends" were made in the testimony of D. F. "That Hamon told him a man "higher up" in the government was Interested in the approval of the contracts con-tracts and that therefore thero wai no reason why Senator Gore should not bo; that when aslied who was tho man higher up. Hamon had replied the vice president That Hamon told him Senator Curtis Cur-tis of Kansas was "iuterested" ln the deal. That ' Hamon told hfm Congressman Con-gressman McGuIre of Oklahoma was "interested" in the deal. Tba Hamon Ha-mon told him an employe of the department de-partment cf justice at Washlnpton was "interested" In the deal. That ho (Senator Gore) knew the name of the employe-, but would not divulge his name or the name of bis Informant, Inform-ant, especially because tho latter would lose his position. , That former Senator Long of Kansas, Kan-sas, acting as counsel for McMurray, had gone to President Taft on April 2S to urge the approval of the contracts, con-tracts, but that tho president had said "It would take a good deal to convince him that the amount of tbp fee asked by McMurray was Justified." Justi-fied." Curtis Denies Charge. Senator Curtis today tent a telegram tele-gram to the coruinilU'B denying that be was in any way interested in the contracts and offering to appear before be-fore the committee. Chairman Burke said Senator Curtis would bo subpoenaed sub-poenaed to teutify. An account of that part of Senator Gore's testimony referring to Vice Tresldcnt Sherman follows: Mr. Burke: "In your conversation with Mr. Hamon, you stntd he named a veiy high official that he aid w-as interested in these contract. You omitted bis name." Mr- Gore: "I pay again that I r.Vi.Od f rv DVjch prefer net to mmc Gore, private -secretary and brother of Senator Gore. D. F. Gore said he was In his brother's broth-er's private office, at noon on May 6 when Hamon appeared. Statement ef Gore's Brother. "I stepped into an adjoining office and left the senator and Hamon aloDe, except that once Iu a while I went out. When they quit talking, in about 30 or 40 mlnut.es, Hamon came out into my room. "'Well,' he said, 'Dick, the sena'T Is getting awfully hard on his friends. I want to moke a lot of money, Dick, and I don't care bow I make It." "I did not know then what they had been talkiug about, but when Hamon left the senator seid be had been talking about the Mr-Murray contracts and Hamon had nifered him $25,000. The senator said llamon offered to Increase In-crease the amount. That'a all that was sold to me shout tbe matter at that time. Later MeMurroy pame tr me and said he was sure that Senator Gore did not underhand thope contracts con-tracts and wished he knew of seme way ot making him understand. He invited me to tho hotel to talk it over so T could tell the senator. He also wanted to know If I would attend a frog leg banquet which bo wa6 nr-ransdng nr-ransdng I decliued all cf these Invitations." In-vitations." Stenographer Testifies. J. Teroy Thompson, stenographer to Senator Gore, testified that he also was in and out of the senator's room when Huavcn was present. He, too. was invited to tbe fro? leg- banquet, bo sr-Jd. but declined. Congressman Campbell: "How long were the senator and Hamon In conference con-ference together?" Thompson: "About 3.) or n minutes. min-utes. When Hamon rime out I overheard over-heard him say he w-juited to make a |